Redress
by Cereal Killaahhh
Summary: Rufus loved Tseng. Tseng loved Elena. Rufus always got what he wanted. Rufus wanted Tseng. Tseng wanted Elena. Rufus wanted revenge. (Rufus x Tseng x Elena)


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Warning: First-time writer, low-rate fic. 'Nuff said. Anyway, this fic will contain some shounen-ai/yaoi so for you homophobes, scoot! Blood, violence, offensive language, sex, and anything else my twisted mind can concoct. *grin* Heheh... There's a little bit of Rufus/Tseng, Tseng/Elena but it's really a Rufus/Elena... A Relena? (eww...reminds me of that Gundam Wing witch...no offense of course) An Elenus? (nah...I'm just writing a simple fic, not a remake of _"Julius Caesar"_) A Rufena? Elufus? Refusena? Ack... No good with names... Just leave it at Rufus x Elena. xP

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Author's Notes: I decided to take a break from my full-time cereal killing and do something productive for once. This is the first time I've written a fic in my life *ever* so please bear with me or discontinue reading (Lord knows I would). If any part of this fic seems like it belongs to the Brooklyn Public Library of Crap then take heed and run for your nearest decent fanfic! Now, have a happy readin' matey!

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Disclaimer: (Seriously, if I owned _Final Fantasy VII_ and its characters, I'd have a life and at least more than two bucks in my wallet. Seriously.) I do not claim ownership to _Final Fantasy VII_ and its characters, which belong rightfully to _Squaresoft_ and their other respective owners.

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"Redress"

by Cereal Killaahhh (Leonard Pan)

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Chapter One

"Meltdown"

Forever. Yes, he was gone forever. She didn't want to believe it and for a while she was able to pretend that he never died. However, it was written in stone, his tombstone, and no matter what she kept on telling herself it was true. From then on until forever.

RUFUS SHINRA

It was in front of her face as if it were yelling the words. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to accept it fully. It had been what...less than a week since she had last seen him? How could she just let go of him like he had passed years ago? The pain wrenched her heart as tightly as it had when she first heard the news. She couldn't just let go...

Elena lifted her palms to her frozen lips in a poor attempt to warm herself. The gust of wind had thrown daggers of icy coldness at her fragile body. Painfully cold, but in the frigid weather, it felt almost as if he were giving her a sign. A sign that he resided in her heart and his arms would always embrace her if she had ever faced a cold such as this. It was strange how the cold was so comforting...

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_ Tseng..._

Elena's gaze had been affixed to the smooth surface of the charcoal countertop for a good half hour. Six glasses sat there, emptied of all their contents to the last drop liquor with the exception of her own, gin filling it up to the brim. Rude and Reno sat contentedly by her side talking to the other about their newest love interests. Elena always felt so comfortable on night like those when it was only the three of them and a couple of hard ones but tonight...tonight, it was different. This time she was actually disgusted...disgusted that they had thrown away the memory of a trusted friend and colleague as easily as an old lover.

The owner of the bar announced that it was closing time and as Elena and her two companions staggered through the streets of Wall Market, Elena finally felt the tears sting her eyes and her heart break. How could she not have known? She was the last person he probably saw aside from his killer, who couldn't even be properly classified as human...he was a monster. Sephiroth killed anyone in his path whether they be guilty of displeasing him or not. Man, woman, or child; it did not matter. So when he sliced through Tseng's body, he felt not a single bit of remorse.

"Elena..." Rude murmured.

"Huh?" Reno turned his head to see the said Turk collapse to the ground and weep like a little girl.

They had made plans, her and Tseng. Right before he died, he was actually warming up to her a bit... _How could you die?! You promised...you said..._

Elena raised her head slightly when a comforting hand touched her shoulder. She caught Rude's gentle stare and wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Are you...okay?" he asked.

"I-I'm all right, sir..." she quivered with a quick nod of the head. He still seemed worried but dismissed the situation and helped Elena on her feet.

"I apologize...for being so weak," she uttered softly. "I promise it won't happen again."

"Don't be sorry," Reno stated firmly. He looked at her, taking on a look of seriousness. "We know how you feel." The other Turk nodded in compliance. "Tseng wasn't only our boss...but he was our friend too. Since day one, he's been there for every one of us. We're Turks so we can only depend on each other. Even that bratty little president won't be able to break us!"

Nothing could ever break them. Whether or not it was the alcohol speaking, Reno was right. The new president had been discouraging his employees from forming bonds with one another in an attempt to weaken them, so that they wouldn't rebel. His words worked like a charm on the majority of the Shinra company but left the Turks unaffected and if anything, brought them closer together. The hidden motive of the Shinra conspiracy was unknown as of the moment but most likely geared towards the strengthening of the young president.

Elena resented Sephiroth since that cursed day that Tseng died, but as inhumane as he might have been, her kind soul believed that somewhere beneath all the evil there was a good heart. Sephiroth was merely another victim of a darker force that lurked about.

Rufus Shinra.

The least he could do for the deceased Turk leader was to give him a proper burial. Rumor had it that Rufus did not concern himself with such "insignificant matters" and had the body thrown into the incinerator.

It was at that moment that Elena realized her life meant nothing. Her job meant nothing. Anything that had anything to do with Shinra was completely out of line, including her. Yes, she contributed to the company of evil. She knew she wasn't like that so why did she do it? What for?

For money. She was just as corrupt at they were. Everything in her life revolved around money which was why she followed every bidding like an obedient little dog. She couldn't go through like that anymore... It wasn't right...

It was time for a change.

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Well? Was it good so far? I'll be darned surprised if anyone even made it up to this point... xP Anyway, I'd most appreciate it if I got some reviews! =] 


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